Meet Pia Dugger | Interdisciplinary Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Pia Dugger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Pia, what inspires you?
I draw inspiration from my personal experiences as a full-time working mother and wife, my love for nature, science, osteology and emotional discovery.

My work brings attention to the delicate relationship between humanity and nature while critiquing the forces that disrupt it. I depict animals or specimens, surrounded by vibrant colors, glitch imagery, and graphic patterns. These contrasting elements symbolize external stresses and the struggle between the natural and the artificial—the autonomous versus the relentless race of modern life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve wanted to be an artist ever since I can remember. But even though I studied graphic design I did not take a straight path to get here. Partially due to the stigma of the starving artist I initially pursued a corporate career. The money was good, but work life balance was non-existent. My mental well-being and my family came last, the work was first. Eventually after 17 years in a career that I learned a lot from, but didn’t love and struggles with burnout I was able to step out of the rat race. I have my husband to thank for that, who went back to work after retiring to support us financially. Through my newly found freedom, I made family and my passion the number one priority. I still consider myself to be an emerging artist, but am proud of my accomplishments during the past few years, to include my first solo exhibition, features in local newspapers, continued participation in group and gallery exhibitions and art sales! I continue to expand my craft and am currently working on a series of repurposed animal sculptures and magnetic paintings.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are definitely many great places to choose from. I love being surrounded by nature. Places where I can enjoy the outdoors and see art at the same time are my favorite! Thankfully there is no shortage of them in Palm Beach County:

Ann Norton Sculpture Garden https://ansg.org/
Mounts Botanical Garden https://www.mounts.org/
Norton Museum of Art https://www.norton.org/

Other artsy places to visit are:
Arts Warehouse Delray https://artswarehouse.org/
The Peach Artist Collective https://thepeachwpb.com/index.html

We’d eat at Brule Bistro https://brulebistro.com/ in Delray Beach or its sister restaurant Rose’s Daughter https://www.rosesdaughterdelray.com/ right after we finished shopping at Amanda James Gallery https://www.amandajamesgallery.com/ and at the House of Perna https://thehouseofperna.com/pages/contact-us

Lastly we’d grab a souvenir from the Flamango Art Vending Machine at City Place https://downtownwpb.com/flamangovending/ . My original mini painting ‘Test Screens’ are part of the many treasures from local creatives you can find in the machine.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Absolutely! My shoutout goes to the local artist community, where I’ve found support and encouragement. Attending the weekly artist talk at the Peach Artist Collective, lead by Craig McInnis https://www.craigmcinnis.com/contact-us/ has been a wonderful way to connect with local creatives. I’ve met photographers, painters and fabric artists. Here are just a few of the ones who inspire me and totally get me! If you don’t already know them, check them out!

Jess Kirby https://www.jessicamkirby.com/
Quinn Miller https://www.qmillerphotography.com/
Elizabeth Palace https://www.elizabethpalace.com/
Kerri On https://kerrionart.com/
Kelle Marie ​​https://kelle-marie-creative.square.site
James Tu https://bio.site/jamestu

Website: https://www.piadugger.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piafauna/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pia-dugger-15a95588/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Pia-Dugger/100070087936136/

Image Credits
Photo Credit:
Elizabeth Palace
James Tu